Summary While en route to crab-harvesting grounds northeast of Glace Bay, the MISSSHANNON was swamped when she shipped a heavy sea. The vessel lost reserve buoyancy, quickly turned upside down and settled by the stern. There was no time for the crew to don life jackets or to call for assistance. Two of the crew of three lost their lives. Ce rapport est galement disponible en franais. Other Factual Information Particulars of the vessel The MISSSHANNON was of Cape Island design, open boat construction. She was equipped with a Very High Frequency Radio Telephone (VHF R/T), a cellular telephone and the regulation- required life jacket for each crewmember, lifebuoy and hand flares. The MISS SHANNON did not carry a liferaft or any other type of small boat and she was not fitted with an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB). As it was less than 15 gross tons, the MISSSHANNON was not required to be inspected by the Marine Safety Branch of Transport Canada, nor was it. On 27 September 1996, the MISSSHANNON was outward bound for the crab-harvesting grounds with a load of 20 traps stowed on the well-deck. The weight of the traps was approximately 907 kg, excluding lines and marker buoys. At the beginning of the crab-fishing season for the past five or six years, the vessel had reportedly carried a similar load in similar weather conditions. The vessel was deeply laden and the well-deck scuppers had been closed. The vessel was of fibreglass construction and the well-deck was watertight. To allow shipped water to drain to the bilge, one hatch had been left open. With the wind and sea on the port beam, the vessel was swamped by a larger than usual sea, filling the well-deck to gunwale height. As the well-deck scuppers had been closed, the water was retained on board. Within seconds of being swamped, the vessel turned upside down, settled by the stern and assumed a nearly vertical position, bow up. The owner/operator and his two sons were in the wheel-house at the time of the swamping, which, according to the crewmember who survived, occurred at approximately 1320[1]. Prior to this, although the sea was rough, the crew did not express anxiety regarding their safety. To escape from the wheel-house, the survivor kicked out one of the wheel-house windows. This action caused a further loss of buoyancy but allowed the three men to abandon the vessel, which they now believed would quickly sink. The survivor and the owner/operator, a non-swimmer, used the lifebuoy for support while in the water. The other crewmember held on to a polythene marker buoy. The three stayed together a short distance from the vessel as they were fearful of becoming entangled in the large amounts of polypropylene line that had floated free on the surface of the water. MISSSHANNON had been rigged and fitted out for sword fishing and this included a pulpit extending approximately three metres forward of the stem. The pulpit was now almost vertical and protruded above the 0.6 m of stem still above the water. When the three men realized that the vessel was remaining afloat, though in a vertical position, it was decided to re-board her. The survivor climbed onto the pulpit, the owner/operator rested on the fore part of the cuddy while the other son held on to a starboard stay wire, where he became entangled in some of the polypropylene line. The MISSSHANNON did not sink until about 2 hours after she had overturned but the owner/operator and one of his sons succumbed approximately one hour after reboarding the vessel (the survivor was unable to record exact times). At approximately 1652, the survivor was rescued by another fishing vessel, the crew of which had sighted the survivor at approximately 1644 and advised Sydney Coast Guard Radio Station (CGRS). CGRS Sydney in turn notified the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) Halifax resulting in a Canadian Forces Hercules aircraft, airborne in the vicinity, being tasked and diverted to the area. Labrador helicopters and the Canadian Coast Guard vessel LOUISBOURG were also tasked but not utilized. By 1725 the body of the owner/operator had been retrieved from the water by another fishing vessel, and at 1810 the second body was picked up by a third vessel. The survivor was examined at a local hospital and released. A local physician confirmed that the cause of death of the owner/operator and his son had been drowning. Weather and Sea Conditions The weather during the afternoon of 27 September was poor with NE winds of 20 knots and wave heights three or four metres with visibility approximately four miles. Surface water temperature was approximately 13C, allowing for a possible survival time of approximately 3 hours. Crew Experience The owner/operator had been fishing that area since 1979 and had approximately 50 years of experience in fishing, assisted by one son for approximately 28 years. The survivor has had approximately 16 years experience in the fishing industry.